9 years old, distilled 3rd March 2005, 60.1% abv, refill ex-bourbon barrel, 100 bottles

The nose is like a woodpile, with a touch of pear and vanilla. The body has toffee, lemon, apples and a hint of cornflake dust. The mouth-feel is thin and doesn’t linger. The finish brings smoky toffee and a gentle hint of autumnal leaf bonfires.

After water (which whorls thinly but lingers) the nose has more fruit - like a freshly opened bag of fruit pastilles. There’s also a slight mustiness - more old books than a greenhouse. The body gains caramel and loses a little of the lemon, but is more mouth-watering - the mouth-feel is now coating (but not chewy). The finish is still autumnal leaf bonfires and toffee, which is no bad thing.

A superb autumnal dram.

4/5